If you are as passionate about kimchi as I am, it is probably best if you just make it yourself.
Homemade Kimchi
(Adapted slightly from: drbenkim.com)
1 head Napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt or kosher salt
1 cup or so warm water
1/4 cup red chili flake powder (kochukaru or Korean chili powder)
1/4 cup warm water
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced ginger
3-4 thinly sliced green onions
2 T fish sauce
small apple (or half a large apple)
small pear (or half a large pear)
half a yellow onion
1 cup water
Separate the cabbage leaves and chop them into large bite size pieces (they will shrink a lot). Put the cabbage into a bowl (it will look like a lot). Mix the salt with the cup of warm water and stir until the salt dissolves. You can add more water if needed.
Pour the salt water over the cabbage, toss and let it sit at room temperature for 4 hours, tossing every once in a while. After 4 hours it will have reduced in size.
Strain and rinse well 2-3 times. Return the cabbage to the bowl. Mix the powder with 1/4 warm water, the ginger, garlic, green onions and fish sauce.
Toss everything with the cabbage using gloves or plastic bags over your hands so the powder doesn't burn you. Blend the onion, pear and apple in a high power blender or food processor until smooth and toss with cabbage.
Cover and leave out for 24 hours at room temperature to begin the fermentation process. It will keep in the fridge for about a month and continue to ferment. But ... if you are anything like me, this won't last 2 days in your house!
Do you like kimchi? Have you ever made it?
